New signing doesn't have to be the end for Wycombe Wanderers fan favourite: View | OneFootball

With competition for places hotting up at Wycombe Wanderers, Sam Vokes must stake his claim to earn a spot in the squad.

With a highly competitive squad being assembled at Wycombe Wanderers, veteran striker Sam Vokes will be eager to lock down his spot in the team. However, he will face stiff competition for a place in Matt Bloomfield's squad, which is bound to cause the 40-year-old some selection headaches.

Vokes has been with the Chairboys since 2021 and has enjoyed a fruitful few years with the Buckinghamshire outfit. The former Wales international has played an excellent 135 times for the Wanderers thus far, netting on 28 occasions. However, 17 came in his first season, and the striker has failed to hit double digits again.

Having played 40 times in League One last season, the Welshman only started 22 of those 40 though. This was a direct result of January signings Richard Kone and Beryly Lubala, whose introductions into the squad seemed to result in an upturn in form for the Wanderers. By the end of the season, Vokes found himself third in the pecking order, behind both Lubala and Kone.

The 34-year-old is coming towards the end of his excellent playing career, so when it was announced that Wycombe had secured the signing of Shrewsbury Town striker Daniel Udoh, this raised the question of what Vokes' involvement would be for the forthcoming season. There have been rumblings about the former Wales international becoming a player-coach, learning from Bloomfield similarly to how he learned from the previous manager, Gareth Ainsworth, at the end of his playing career.

Since the former Wales star arrived in Buckinghamshire, Wycombe fans have certainly taken him to their hearts and rightly so. From the position the club was in back in 2014, on the brink of potentially not existing, for a huge name in football like Vokes to join the Wanderers, it showed how far the club has progressed over the seven years since financial troubles. For many, this was the end of the 'Little old Wycombe' analogy, as a player with plenty of Premier League and international pedigree had entered the building, this was just a mere dream years ago.

Additionally, Vokes instantly hit the ground running, scoring on his second league appearance for the club in a 3-1 victory at Cheltenham Town. He went on to hit 17 goals in his first season, which was the highest tally of any Wycombe player since Adebayo Akinfenwa matched that number in 2017-18.

The fire in Vokes' belly after a couple of frustrating years at Stoke City was evident and the striker used this to his benefit for his new club. Now entering his fourth year as a Chairboy, the man fans lovingly dub 'Super Sam' has shown his loyalty to the club that gave him a way out of his frustrating Stoke tenure. Whilst many out-of-contract players could've moved on and challenged themselves at a higher level, Vokes decided to make returning to the Championship with Wycombe his mission, further improving his reputation with the fans.

What Vokes must do to fight his way into the team

One benefit the Welshman has to his game is that he is currently the only 'target forward' at Wycombe. It's no secret that Bloomfield has been trying to build his team around a possession-based style of football, but as we've seen before, the old Ainsworth route-one style can still be adopted if needs be.

While players such as Brandon Hanlan and Kone can play as a number nine in this style, Vokes is certainly the best option thanks to his superior physical presence, aerial prowess, and vast experience. If Bloomfield comes up against a team where he decides the route-one style is the best approach, this will be where Vokes has his opportunity to prove his worth.

The experienced forward starred for Wycombe in late January, having a strong run of performances before he fell out of favour. If the Welshman can rekindle this form, he stands a chance of being a key component for the Chairboys once again.

The competition that Vokes will face

As previously mentioned, Wycombe's attack could be a force to be reckoned with this season. The young Ivorian Richard Kone enjoyed a very successful end to the season, putting in some outstanding performances that rightly excited fans. If the 20-year-old can carry this momentum into the new season, he could be one of the most feared strikers in League One this season.

Having displayed wonderful instinct, lethal finishing and being crucial in Wycombe's build-up play, many Chairboys fans see Kone as the biggest threat to Vokes this season.

Additionally, new signing Udoh arrived at Adams Park this summer. The Nigerian striker finished last season with 10 goals in 40 league appearances, which is six more than Vokes managed, albeit he started just under double the amount of games that Vokes did. The 27-year-old finished the season strongly, netting three times in Shrewsbury's final three matches.

Statistically speaking, Udoh has performed far better than the likes of Vokes, particularly in shot conversion, as despite Vokes having a higher xG compared to the former Shrewsbury striker, the latter had a far superior goal tally come the end of the season.

It would be a fair assumption to say Udoh was brought in to lead the line for Wycombe next season, therefore that starting place is his to lose. With his solid goalscoring record throughout his time in Shropshire, he is an established striker at the top level of League One and knows how to cause opponents problems. At 27 years old, the Nigerian offers a mix of experience and youthful determination, which is the perfect blend for an attacker at this level.

Lubala and Hanlan, who is on the road to recovery after sustaining a serious ACL injury last season, will also offer a threat to Vokes. Both will be expected to play on the wing, but both can play competently as a number nine if needed. Whilst Kone and Udoh pose the biggest threat, it's important to keep these two in mind, despite neither of them being a natural striker, five of Lubala's seven goals last season came from his unnatural position as a striker.

Sam Vokes must make the most of all the chances he gets this season

Vokes will be heading towards coaching this season rather than playing. Having lost his starting position to Kone, who's shown no signs of losing that spot thus far, the addition of Udoh could potentially be a killer blow for the Welshman, as Wycombe's attack looks more dangerous than ever before.

Vokes will turn 35 at the end of October, putting him in the twilight of his career. The accomplished striker will already be looking at his options after his playing career and whether he wants to remain in football in a coaching role. His presence around the dressing room will still be a big factor, acting as a mentor to young strikers Kone and Jaiden Bartolo, who will equally learn plenty from someone who has done it at the top level.

Whilst it's highly unlikely Vokes won't feature at all, with all the facts outlined in this article, he will find himself featuring much less than he has previously. If he does want to impress Bloomfield and stake a claim on a starting spot, he must make the most of every opportunity he gets, whilst hoping Kone and Udoh don't prevent him from getting those opportunities.